Hoyne Book Club

Hoyne Book Club

Hoyne Book Club

Our book club started: With two neighbors who shared books, then thought it would be fun to include other women on our block.

Once or twice a year: We have a field trip pairing a theme of a book with an outing. For example, the group attended a cooking class on cuisine in honor of "My Life in France," by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme.

Some books we loved: "The Help," by Kathryn Stockett; "City of Thieves," by David Benioff; "The Pillars of the Earth," by Ken Follett; and "Middlesex," by Jeffrey Eugenides.

A book we struggled with: Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel." There was lots of moaning and groaning over this one. Yet the members who read this book might say it altered their perception of guns, germs and steel and the development of our world.

We really liked: "Middlesex," by Jeffrey Eugenides. One of our members could not believe it wasn't true. We had to show her, on the book jacket, that it said "fiction."

Up next: "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," by Amy Chua. We're looking forward to this read, as many members work for the Chicago Public Schools system, and a number of us are mothers. It is bound to provide some lively conversation.